Distribution, habitat and conservation of two threatened stag beetles, Hoplogonus bornemisszai and H. vanderschoori (Coleoptera: Lucanidae) in north-east Tasmania

Abstract

The distribution and habitat of two stag beetles, Hoplogonus bornemisszai and H. vanderschoori (Coleoptera: Lucanidae) listed under the Tasmanian Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 were investigated. The number of sites of occurrence for H. bornemisszai was increased from 4 to 28 and its extent of occurrence was calculated to be 1,200 ha ( 12 km 2 ). The number of sites of occurrence for H. vanderschoori was increased from 3 to 22 and its extent of occurrence was 9,510 ha (95 km 2 ). Both species appeared to have patchy distributions and occurred at variable population densities. H. vanderschoori was found predominantly in wetter forest types than H.bornemisszai including rainforest and mixed forest types, but was not found in regenerating wet eucalypt forest.The ranges of the two species did not overlap. However, the range of H. bornemisszai is contiguous with that of another threatened stag beetle, H. simsoni. Together, the ranges of the three species indicate the presence of a biogeographical mosaic. Only 20% of potential habitat for H. bornemisszai, and 30% for H. vanderschoori, occurs in reserves or areas bound by a conservation covenant.Conservation measures are recommended for the maintenance of populations of these species in areas subject to forestry activities.

The major Australian cool temperate rainforest tree Nothofagus cunninghamii withstood Pleistocene glacial aridity within multiple regions: evidence from the chloroplast

“…This is the first genetic evidence of glacial refugia for cool temperate rainforest species in the northeast highlands. This finding fits well with the occurrence of a distinctive invertebrate fauna that includes some slowdispersing centipede, millipede, snail and beetle species endemic to the region (Mesibov, 1994(Mesibov, , 1997Munks et al, 2004).…”

Biodiversity of Coleoptera

“…These species belong to 13 families and occur in 60 countries. Human activities, such as habitat destruction and the introduction of invasive alien species, continue to threaten many of the world's natural ecosystems and the myriad of beetle species in them (Spence and Spence 1988, Kamoun 1996, Martikainen and Kouki 2003, Munks et al 2004, Abellan et al 2005, Davis and Philips 2005, Bouchard et al 2006, Talley and Holyoak 2006. We argue that the number of species currently listed as vulnerable, threatened, or extinct represents a gross underestimation of the number that should be targeted for conservation.…”

Descriptions and key to the larvae of the Tasmanian endemic genus Hoplogonus Parry (Coleoptera: Lucanidae), and comparison with the sympatric Lissotes rudis Lea

“…Within their respective ranges, the beetles are restricted to the wetter forests and to riparian zones in drier forests. Though the three species occur in relatively close proximity, range overlap has only been documented between H. simsoni and H. bornemisszai and is confined to an area of approximately 1 km² along the southwestern edge of the range of H. bornemisszai (Munks et al 2004). All are listed as threatened on both the Tasmanian Threatened Species Protection Act 1995, and Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, due to restricted ranges and perceived on-going threats to habitat.…”